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The Delaware River, or Big "D," is located
in the South Central part of New York State on the Pennsylvania
border. (NY/PA
Border Regulations) It has a rich fly-fishing history
and a reputation for being one of the best wild trout
fisheries in the world. The cold water from the Cannonsville
and Pepacton reservoirs, accompanied by the abundance
of insects and wild trout, make this river a "must
visit" for all fly fishermen. From the 1870s through
the mid-1900s, the Delaware River was known for its outstanding
small-mouth bass fishing. There are several different
stories about just how the Delaware River's amazing rainbow
trout population began. The most memorable one was the
tale of an Erie train that was carrying cans of rainbow
trout to stock the cool waters of the West Branch. According
to the story, there was a train wreck and in a plight
to save the fish on board, they were dumped into Callicoon
Creek. Despite any of these "tall tales," in
the 1880s, rainbows were stocked into small feeder streams
on the Delaware in both New York and Pennsylvania, where
they thrived for more than 80 years.
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The Delaware River wasn't known for its trout fishing
until the l960s. In l961, the Pepacton Dam was built
in Downsville on the East Branch,
which took over most of the down-stream releases from
the other rivers. These were bottom releases, making
some 45 miles of the river cold enough for trout. This
cold-water zone extended all the way down to Long Eddy
on the main stem.
In 1967, another dam was completed in Cannonsville
on the West Branch. The
Cannonsville Reservoir took over the majority of the
down-stream releases. With the Cannonsville Dam just
11 miles up the West Branch, the cold-water zone was
extended all the way down to Callicoon on the main
stem. |
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The construction of these two dams changed the upper
main stem of the river, turning the East and West
branches into cold-water fisheries, suitable for
trout fishing. The main stem begins at its famous Junction
Pool in Hancock, New York. This pool is where the East
and the West branches of the Delaware join, forming the
main river. The cold water, or cold-water zone, runs
some 27 miles down to Callicoon. The main stem is made
up of long, slow moving pools that are interrupted by
shallow, faster moving riffles. These riffles are valuable
to fly fishermen, since they are well aerated and contain
many insects for trout to feed on. The riffles are from
one to three feet deep and are made of gravel and small
stones.
The Big "D" is the only major Catskill River
that is not stocked with trout; however, it contains
a great number of both rainbow and brown trout. The
farther you travel down river, the fewer brown trout
you will find. The greatest reward in fishing the main
stem is the opportunity to catch large wild trout.
You won't catch enormous quantities of fish in the
main stem, but the quality of the fish here is unbelievable.
Most fish average from 15 to 18 inches long and weigh
between one and two pounds. Fish more than 20 inches
long are not uncommon. And these fish are like rocket
ships. Most fish you hook will run you into backing.
The chance of fooling one or two of these fish into
taking a dry fly is worth its weight in gold.
The biggest problem in fishing the Big "D" is
access to the river. Most of the river is public, but
the land bordering the river is private, so, fishermen
must gain permission from the land owners in order
to gain access. Please respect landowners property
rights along the river and do not tresspass. The river
does, however, have some public access points off Route
191 on the Pennsylvania side, and off Route 97 on the
New York side. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
has multiple access points along the river where fishermen
also can gain access. For additional information regarding
access to the river, contact one of the local fly shops.
The entomology of the Big "D" is absolutely
incredible. Almost every eastern species of insect
can be found on this river. The variety of habitat
and cold water creates great hatches of Mayflies, Stoneflies
and Caddis. On some nights, the hatches are so thick
that it's difficult to see. So, you must know your
entomology in order to be successful. It's common to
see complex hatches with a number of different types
of insects on the water each night. And don't miss
the Hendrickson or Green and Brown
Drake hatches each spring. Blue-Winged
Olives, Sulphurs and Tricos fish
well during different times of the summer, and there
always seems to be some type of Caddis or Stonefly
on the water. The Delaware River system is a dry-fly
fisherman's dream.
Although most focus on the Delaware's amazing trout
fishing, I like to call attention to the fact that
it's also an incredible warm-water fishery. Below the
cold-water zone, the river still has great bass fishing.
Larger numbers of good-sized large- and small-mouth
bass can be caught during most months of the year.
The former New Jersey State record Musky also was caught
in this river. As fishermen approach the lower end
of the river, they can catch striped bass. Each year
striped bass are caught in the cold-water zone as far
upstream as Hancock, NY, which is more than 220 miles
from sea. Each spring, the shad make their annual run
up the river to spawn, giving fishermen the chance
to do battle with this powerful species of fish. Fishermen
should realize that this river offers much more than
just trout fishing.
When fishing this river system, don't get frustrated.
There's many a night on this river when fish are rising
everywhere and the fishermen can't touch them. I've
seen this river humble some of the finest fisherman.
These wild fish are well educated and very selective
when feeding. I believe that's what makes it so special,
and it's what keeps fishermen coming back. Once you've
experienced an evening on this river, you will come
to appreciate the Delaware trout and look forward to
return time and again. |
